Emmalie checked in with me often for a status update: "How many more flowers, mommy?" It was fitting that her fingers be in the picture :) I found a vintage transfer on flickr - and quickly taped it up to the window. That's the most professional way right!? I had fun, while Joe watched football, and I even learned a few new stitches too!
Here's a question for you - When I first learned to do cross-stitch (as a girl, with grandma) I was taught to use two strands of floss. A book I have reccomends all 6 strands. I did a little of everything here - I think 3-4 worked nice on this piece. Any one have a rule of thumb?
I will do more embroidery, I like working with the hoop and floss :)
Hope you are having a great Monday ~ Amy
21 comments:
SIX??? Holy Cow -- that's pretty fat! I use between 2 and 3, depending on my whim of the day.
Your flowers look perfect!
sheesh, I always use 6, but maybe i am doing somethign wrong....
I don't embroider but your project is making me want spring to come soon! Pretty.
I love the embroidery. However, I went on flickr and couldn't locate it. Would you mind e-mailing me the link. I use either 2 or 3 strands. I remember learning when I was young and sometimes using 6 strands. It is a lot.
I use between 2 and 3. I love your flowers they are so cheerful. Didn't know you like Micheal Buble. I knew there was a reason I liked you so much. Isn't he the greatest.
Amy,
That is so cute! I always use 2 or 3 strands, my favorite is 2. I find embroidery is very relaxing.
Nadine
No football here --- well for a few minutes while I checked out the sports setting my new tv.
These are so pretty! I haven't tried embrodiery yet, but you have inspired me to add it to the never ending list!
My grandma taught me to use 2 or 3 depending on the application. I've used six but not often.
That's part of what makes your piece so appealling though. The varied thread densities give it texture and your variety of stitches make it fun.
Very cute!
wow! This is amazing! I love all the colors. I usually use either 3 or 6 pieces (6 for sublime stitching patterns and 3 for others)
So pretty-makes me want to go get my hoop out! It's been so long I can't even remember how many strands I used.
I Just got an embroidery thingie from someone. You have inspired me to get busy...LOL
This mom learned with 3 strands from a book!! Hi Hon, it's adorable! Looked you up to my fix of "Beauty From Pain" and immediately thought of your flowers...your shoulder hurt, you created..."Beauty from Pain!" love you, babe, Mom
If I could have thrown my TV out the window on Sunday I would have. Football overload. Is this season ever going to end?
Love the embroidering. I really need to pick this up again. I could even tolerate football while I did it.
beautiful embroidery! those flowers are very pretty! I love hoop love for patterns too! I usually use a variety of strands for normal embroidery, usually less than 6 strands for more detailed stitches. I think I most often use 3 strands. For xstitch, I think I use 2 but it depends on the size of your stitches or aida cloth.
Amy, love your embroidery. The flowers are beautiful. I mostly use only 2 strands. I think it looks cleaner.
six sounds too much to me, too--I love the color combination you chose!
:)
That is just lovely. I've never tried hand embroidery. However, seeing your piece makes me want to try it!
I love this...the colors are so lovely together and the stitching is gorgeous!
Your embroidery is beautiful! I don't know how to do that...but I have been having the desire to cross stitch recently.
By the way, I saw that song by Rich Mullins, "Hold Me Jesus" on your playlist. I remembered when we went to San Francisco for that Financial Aid Conference and I was driving in San Francisco. I was so scared trying to maneuver those streets and that song was on the radio and every time I hear it, I think about our trip to San Francisco...how funny! You were pregnant with Ella at the time, remember??? I remember you had crackers by your bed because you weren't feeling well in the mornings... :-) :-) Ahhhhh, so long ago!
I have been ill for years and lost my creative juice, but now I've been stable for awhile I'm hoping to get creative again. Emroidery was something I loved doing. I would save my allowance so I could go to the old 5 X 10 and pick out a new piece to work on. Remember all the selection we use to get already stamped on pillowcases, dresser scarves, etc.? Really excellent quality fabric too. I saw some pieces the other day in a craft store, and I wouldn't put hours of work onto cheap fabric like they were offering. Very similar patterns like what you found to work. I'm glad to know I can get the old patterns still.
I vowed that when I started creating again that I wasn't going to go by the "rules" that I was taught as a child like only using 2 threads, and no more than 3 different stitches on a piece. I think varying the number of threads would allow you to give a piece more depth and dimension. You could make one flower the focal point of the piece by making it with heavier floss and more bold stitching. Why the rule of only 3 stitches? That's stupid! I'm going to use as many as I want, and I might even throw in a curve ball and dream up new stitches of my own. I'm feeling rebilious. :-)
What about using your embroidery piece as the center of a quilt that you design to go with the embroidery. Of course your colors would come from your thread colors, but what about coordinating your blocks and making up appliques of your own that match the flowers in your embroidery? This would make a gorgeous wall hanging.
Thanks for giving me the idea of being bold and throwing away the old rules that fetter creativity.
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